List of Albany harbourmasters edit

  • Lieutenant Peter Belches (1796 – 1890) tenure (1834 - 1837)
  • John Lawrence Morley (1802 - 1840) tenure (? - 1840) - Morley drowned in 1840 when a boat he was in capsized
  • Captain George Trevor Butcher (1827 - 1900) tenure (1867 - 1899)
  • Captain Frank Winzar (1860 - 1937) tenure (1906? - 1925?)
  • Captain John Wellstead Kent Harris (1883 - 1931) tenure (? - 1926)
  • Captain P. Robertson
  • Captain J. J. Airey (acting 1913)
  • Peter Griffiths - tenure (1979 - 1991)
  • Chris R. Shuttleworth - tenure (? - 2006)
  • Captain Steven Young - tenure (2006 - )
  • Gary Wilson

Albert Ernest (Paddy) Clare (5 December 1894[1]-1961?)

16 October 1920 married Sylvia (nee Porter) at St Luke's Church, Maylands[2]"Perth Prattle". Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 3 October 1920. p. 13 Section: Second Section. Retrieved 8 March 2013.

1939 also witnessed the promulgation of the Builders Registration Act and the creation of the Builders’ Registration Board during the following year. Paddy Clare held the position of Chairman of the Board from it’s inception in 1940 until 1971.[3]

President Royal Institute of Architects of Western Australian (RIAWA)

  • 1942 - 1943 A. E. Clare

President Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA - WA)

  • 1943 - 1944 A. E. Clare

Principal Architects of the PWD

  • 1930 - 5 December 1960[4] Albert Ernest (Paddy) Clare

With the profession facing the serious challenges of war and few members available to attend to Institute matters, it was informally agreed that future debate about amalgamation with the RAIA should be set aside until the end of the war. However, while in Sydney on war related work during June 1942, Harold Boas (Vice-President of the RIAWA) took the opportunity to discuss amalgamation with Professor Hook, the indefatigable secretary of the RAIA. Both men were confident that the difficulties standing in the way of amalgamation could be resolved.

Seizing the moment, Harold Boas wrote to RIAWA President A.E. Clare recommending that RIAWA should join forces with the RAIA as soon as possible. Following consideration by the RIAWA Council, a decision was taken later that year to submit a formal application for all members of the RIAWA to form the WA Chapter of the RAIA. Following approval of this proposal by the Council of the RAIA, the terms of the agreement were forwarded to Perth and considered at a special meeting of the RIAWA Council on 5 January 1943 and at a special general meeting of members on the next day.

With their agreement, the Council was authorised to proceed with the merger of the RIAWA with the RAIA. The public announcement of the formation of the WA Chapter of the RAIA appeared in the March 1943 edition of The Architect. At the first meeting of the new Chapter, A.E. Clare’s efforts in guiding the merger to a successful conclusion were acknowledged by his election as the first President of the W.A. Chapter.

1952 conferred honour of 'Fellow' of Royal Institue of Bristish Architects"PERSONAL". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). Perth, WA: National Library of Australia. 24 December 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 8 March 2013.

Paddy Clare - Chariman of State Housing Commission [5](nutured John Oldham)

Clare was an advocate of the use of Inter-War Art Deco style and many of the buildings designed during the 1930s and early 1940s by the PWD were in this style. Other prominent buildings attributed to PWD during Clare’s time are entered in the on the State Register of Heritage Places and include former 02173 Perth Girls School (now Traffic Police Headquarters), corner of Plain and Wellington streets, East Perth, and 02424 Royal WA Institute for the Blind, on Whatley Crescent, Maylands. These two buildings in particular are representative of the type of decorative styling similar to Lincoln Street Ventilation Stack, and are part of a series of buildings built around Perth at that time.[6]

Shortly after his retirement, he suffered a heart attack at Christmas time. He died a few days later. Shortly thereafter his wife rang me, because she thought that I was Paddy's only friend in the Architectural Department, and said that it was to be a private family funeral, no visitors etc.

In 1961 Clare was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)[7]

Has a street, Clare Promenade, named after him in South Perth, Western Australia.[8]

Works edit

  • Former East Perth Girls School (currently Police Traffic Branch)[9]

The school was designed in the Architectural Division of the Public Works Department, where A.E. (Paddy) Clare was the supervising architect and Len J. Walters the project architect. Plans for the school were finalised in 1934 when the effects of the Depression on the economy were only just lifting. The symmetrical plan, proportions and design of the school with the central entrance block and tower flanked by wings and end blocks are reminiscent of classical Palladian architecture. Art Deco stylisms are also present in the applied decoration.

When it opened the school was equipped with many modern features such as a projection room, lecture theatre and an electrical system throughout the school for synchronous clocks and radio reception.

This monumental building was awarded the Royal British Institute of Architects' Bronze Medal in 1937 for Architectural Achievement. Its placement on the crest of a hill overlooking East Perth affords the building considerable landscape value.[10]

The plans for the eleven storey hospital were prepared by A.E. Clare, the Government Principal Architect, while the Assistant Principal Architect, Len Green, took the responsibility for the design and construction which commenced in December 1939. In 1941 the foundation stone was laid. The completion of the block became a protracted affair due to the war time restrictions and post war shortages of structural steel.

The external faces of the building are cream coloured face brick work with a Donnybrook stone trim. The "H" shaped building with two main wings facing north (Wellington Street) and south (Victoria Square) has a horizontal emphasis with continuous cantilever balconies extending the length of the building on each floor at the Wellington Street frontage. The Wellington Street entrance is finished in green terracotta tiles.

The building is a fine example of functional architecture of the period. The Hospital is a dominant and identifiable element in the streetscape of Wellington Street and Victoria Square.

The A Block of Royal Perth Hospital was constructed throughout the period of World War II and into the 1950s. The largest government building project undertaken at that time, it was significant in the size of the construction, and the implications for health facilities in Western Australia.[11]

(1939-1956) opened June 1948. Wellington Street (South) Architect: A.E. Clare (Govt. Archt.)This was the largest government building project of its time. The essentially simple form features a large Deco entrance portico featuring ceramic tiles on curved wings and cinema-style recessed light fittings. Note the continuous horizontal line of the cantilevered balconies balancing the vertical.[12]

The Stack was designed during A.E. (Paddy) Clare’s time as Principal Architect of the Public Works Department and its construction was overseen by Chief Engineer Russell Dumas.

  • Former Royal Western Australian Institute for the Blind (currently State Ballet Centre)

Architect: A. E. Clare, Principal Government Architect (1937) [13]

A. E. Clare, Principal Architect, who was responsible for most of the major buildings at the site in the inter-war period. The 1939 section of A Block designed by A.E. Clare was one of a very finely designed group of buildings that were produced by the Public Works Department under his stewardship and is a particularly well conceived design and received the Royal Australian Institute of Architects bronze medal.[14]

  • Inglewood Police Station [15]
  • Caves House [16]
  • Pinjara Court House [17]

External links edit